About the Team

The quality and number of the staff team makes the difference between a good home and a bad home. Quality carpets with fine furnishings will not reduce fears or anxieties or help a person live positively with dementia. The staff team and the welcoming atmosphere they create, the supportive and positive feelings each individual living in the home receives from the staff is crucial.

On a normal day at Wisteria the staffing ratio is one to five (sometimes four), one member of staff to five people living in the home. The average for the country is one to six. We have the same staff on at the weekends as we do during the week (except the handyman - Clive who is on call) this also includes a Registered Manager, Housekeepers and Cook.

The staff interview process is taken very seriously at Wisteria House. The management team look out for ‘Naturals’, people who take great pleasure from creating a situation which enables a person with dementia to live positively, basically they have a big heart and show it in abundance! People with a large amount of training and experience are beneficial, but not if they are not naturals and have no intuition. The home as a standard criteria, obtains two recent references and receive an DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) formerly known as CRB and undertake a three month probation, before any person is fully recruited. All staff complete a 'transferable' DBS which allows the Managers to check (6 monthly) if any new criminal conviction has taken place since their interview (which they may have not informed the managers),

The management team aim is that the staff team genuinely feel that their chosen career in life - caring for elderly people living with a dementia and focusing and improving on other peoples mental wellbeing is a worthy role in life of which they are proud to be a part of, this is so important.